Advice needed on partial refund amount.

Bought 2 Beatles LPs.

• German "Please Please Me"
• German "Magical Mystery Tour"

Both were advertised as "Mint." MMT certainly is. Dead quiet, flat, plays perfectly.

However, PPM has a strange white scratch which can't be removed by my RCM no matter how many cycles I go through. It causes 2 pops at the beginning of the 3rd track. The other issue is much weirder. The last 7 secs or so of the last track on the same side has distortion in the right channel.

I communicated these issues to the seller who told me that she doesn't have another copy of this album so the choices are either to return it for a full refund (back to Germany - costly) or a partial refund.

Assuming I go for the 2nd option, how much of a partial refund would be reasonable when taking into consideration the total cost including shipping was 83.50 Euros? The breakdown is 37 Euros for each LP and 9.50 Euros for shipping.

Thanks.

 

Based on your description I'd say PPM is only worth half it's sales value, and I think I'm being generous. So $23.25 Euros.

 

You're sure? Sounds a bit rough.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/144376522@N02/albums/72157684817030745

Here are the best pics I was able to take of the scratch. I doubt the seller would go for half the value of the LP and sending it back to Germany would cost me an arm and a leg.

 

That's a pretty bad scratch. But I agree that 23.25EUR might be a bridge to far. I would round it down to 20 and if the seller is reasonable they will go for it.

That is, of course, if 20EUR would satisfy you. If you would still be unhappy, then best to spend the $15CDN or so (9.50EUR, yes?) to ship it back, and get your 83EUR refund.

 

Try taking a necktie made out of 100% silk and see if you can get the white streak off with some elbow grease. You won't hurt the record at all.


And if it works, let the seller know, of course.

 

The LP cost 37 Euros. A 20 Euros refund wouldn't be too much to ask for these minor issues?

 

One thing you haven't mentioned is whether this came from ebay? If it ends up being a situation where it's best to return it, ebay will take care of the shipping in 99% of situations like this.

 

To my mind, the guiding question is, Will a refund of X Euros actually address your problem? As I see it, your problem isn't that the LP is scratched. Your problem is that currently you don't feel good about/satisfied with the transaction, and you don't feel you got good/fair value for your money.

So the question is, what is the minimum refund that would make you feel good about, and fairly treated in, the transaction?

Whatever that minimum amount is, that's what you should ask for. There's no point in asking for or accepting anything less, since it won't actually address the problem.

Good point. Doesn't PayPal also do this for some transactions now?

 

Not sure, but it probably still functions the same where you'd have to file a claim and all that jazz. That kind of thing is far easier through ebay, I'd have to think.

 

Yes up to $30 (at least in Canada. I imagine the US limit is the same but in USD) but they don't force the seller to pay for the postage. Paypal pays it but you have to claim for it. You need to show receipt, tracking details, photo of item with address showing if you aren't sending it with tracking...they list what you have to provide on their page somewhere.

 

It's through Discogs.

Good point. I'll have to think it over.

 

I suggested 20 Euros which I felt wasn't out of line. She quickly refunded me that amount and said she felt bad the LP wasn't in mint condition like she had advertised. She believes perhaps some dust bit in the sleeve could've caused this.

Not an unreasonable hypothesis. I'll look into it later.

At least, 99% of the LP is amazing.